'Deadpool 3' reportedly moving ahead at Disney, will still be R-rated

After years of speculation, it looks as though a third installment to the Deadpool franchise is finally moving ahead over at Disney.

That’s according to Deadline, who have reported that Ryan Reynolds is set to reprise his role as the Marvel superhero, with writers Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Loeglin reportedly on-board.

Superhero fans have been patiently waiting for news regarding a Deadpool sequel ever since 20th Century Fox was purchased by Disney.

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While it was always assumed that a follow-up film would happen, since the first two films had grossed a combined total of over £1.1 billion ($1.5 billion) at the box office, there were concerns about how the foul-mouthed and R-rated character would fit into the family friendly studio.

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Fox’s previous efforts to make a tamer version of Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine had fallen particularly flat, and, with no news on the horizon, people were becoming increasingly concerned that Disney had no plans to make another Deadpool movie.

However, the temptation to incorporate Deadpool into the Marvel Cinematic Universe looks to have been too much, with Deadline reporting that Reynolds has spent the last month listening to writer pitches for what to do with the character.

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While Deadpool hasn’t even entered production, the fact that the Bob’s Burgers writers are currently working on a script is the biggest indication yet that audiences will be reunited with Wade Wilson.

It seems likely that Deadpool 3 will need a new director. Deadpool 2’s David Leitch is currently working on Bullet Train, and his lack of involvement in the search for the writers suggests he won’t be involved.